diff --git a/bp.1 b/bp.1
index 8bab758..9a60593 100644
--- a/bp.1
+++ b/bp.1
@@ -189,8 +189,11 @@ An identifier character (e.g.\ alphanumeric characters or underscores).
 An identifier character, not including numbers (e.g.\ alphabetic
 characters or underscores).
 .TP
+\f[B]|\f[R]
+A word boundary (i.e.\ the edge of a word).
+.TP
 \f[B]\[rs]b\f[R]
-A word boundary.
+Alias for \f[B]|\f[R] (word boundary)
 .TP
 \f[B]!\f[R] \f[I]pat\f[R]
 Not \f[I]pat\f[R]
diff --git a/bp.1.md b/bp.1.md
index 1e02264..8e9482d 100644
--- a/bp.1.md
+++ b/bp.1.md
@@ -168,8 +168,11 @@ by the same indentation that occurs on the current line.
 `\I`
 : An identifier character, not including numbers (e.g. alphabetic characters or underscores).
 
+`|`
+: A word boundary (i.e. the edge of a word).
+
 `\b`
-: A word boundary.
+: Alias for `|` (word boundary)
 
 `!` *pat*
 : Not *pat*
diff --git a/grammars/bp.bp b/grammars/bp.bp
index 977fce8..3374f0c 100644
--- a/grammars/bp.bp
+++ b/grammars/bp.bp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ escape-sequence: (
     )
 No: `! (__@pat / (!)=>"Expected a pattern after the exclamation mark")
 Nodent: "\N"
-Word-boundary: "\b"
+Word-boundary: `| / "\b"
 Identifier-char: "\i"
 Identifier-start: "\I"
 Upto-and: ".." [__(`%/`=)__@second=simple-pat] [__@first=simple-pat] 
diff --git a/grammars/builtins.bp b/grammars/builtins.bp
index 437265c..23c8960 100644
--- a/grammars/builtins.bp
+++ b/grammars/builtins.bp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ string-escape: `\ (`x 2 Hex / 1-3 `0-7 / `u 1-4 Hex / .)
 id: \I *\i
 var: \I *\i
 keyword: !"" # No keywords defined by default
-word: \b +\i
+word: | +\i
 HEX: `0-9,A-F
 Hex: `0-9,a-f,A-F
 hex: `0-9,a-f
diff --git a/grammars/c++.bp b/grammars/c++.bp
index 333e9f3..1814320 100644
--- a/grammars/c++.bp
+++ b/grammars/c++.bp
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ keyword:
     "unsigned" / "using" / "virtual" / "void" / "volatile" / "wchar_t" / "while" / "xor" / "xor_eq"
 function-def: ^_ 2+(id / keyword / anglebraces / `*) % __ parens (__`; / >(__`{))
 function: function-def __ braces
-macro: ^"#define"\b ..$ *(<`\ \n..$)
-import: ^`#("include"/"import")\b __ (string / `<..`>)
+macro: ^"#define"| ..$ *(<`\ \n..$)
+import: ^`#("include"/"import")| __ (string / `<..`>)
diff --git a/grammars/c.bp b/grammars/c.bp
index 015e5ed..03403eb 100644
--- a/grammars/c.bp
+++ b/grammars/c.bp
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ keyword:
     "volatile" / "while"
 function-def: ^_ 2+(id / keyword / `*) % __ parens (__`; / >(__`{))
 function: function-def __ braces
-macro: ^"#define"\b ..$ *(<`\ \n..$)
-import: ^"#include"\b __ (string / `<..`>)
+macro: ^"#define"| ..$ *(<`\ \n..$)
+import: ^"#include"| __ (string / `<..`>)
diff --git a/grammars/go.bp b/grammars/go.bp
index f86f2eb..f31e21c 100644
--- a/grammars/go.bp
+++ b/grammars/go.bp
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ keyword:
     "break" / "default" / "func" / "interface" / "select" / "case" / "defer" / "go" /
     "map" / "struct" / "chan" / "else" / "goto" / "package" / "switch" / "const" /
     "fallthrough" / "if" / "range" / "type" / "continue" / "for" / "import" / "return" / "var"
-function-def: \b"func"\b __ id __ parens __ [id / parens] >(__`{)
+function-def: |"func"| __ id __ parens __ [id / parens] >(__`{)
 function: function-def __ braces
-import: \b"import"\b __ (parens / string)
+import: |"import"| __ (parens / string)
diff --git a/grammars/javascript.bp b/grammars/javascript.bp
index b59742c..438ddab 100644
--- a/grammars/javascript.bp
+++ b/grammars/javascript.bp
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@ keyword:
     "public" / "return" / "short" / "static" / "super" / "switch" / "synchronized" /
     "this" / "throw" / "throws" / "transient" / "true" / "try" / "typeof" / "var" /
     "void" / "volatile" / "while" / "with" / "yield"
-function-def: \b"function"\b __ [id__] parens / (id / parens) __ "=>"
+function-def: |"function"| __ [id__] parens / (id / parens) __ "=>"
 function: function-def __ braces
-import: \b"import"\b ..%braces (`; / $)
+import: |"import"| ..%braces (`; / $)
diff --git a/grammars/lisp.bp b/grammars/lisp.bp
index f6f9796..b68cf71 100644
--- a/grammars/lisp.bp
+++ b/grammars/lisp.bp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 comment: ";" ..$
 string: `" ..%string-escape `"
 list: parens
-function-def: `(__"defun"\b__id
+function-def: `(__"defun"|__id
 function: function-def ..%parens `)
 id-char: `A-Z,a-z,0-9,!,$,%,&,*,+,-,.,/,:,<,=,>,?,@,^,_,~
 id: !<`A-Z,a-z,0-9,!,$,%,&,*,+,-,.,/,:,<,=,>,?,@,^,_,~ +`A-Z,a-z,0-9,!,$,%,&,*,+,-,.,/,:,<,=,>,?,@,^,_,~
diff --git a/grammars/lua.bp b/grammars/lua.bp
index f75880e..6005514 100644
--- a/grammars/lua.bp
+++ b/grammars/lua.bp
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ keyword:
  "and" / "break" / "do" / "else" / "elseif" / "end" / "false" / "for" /
  "function" / "goto" / "if" / "in" / "local" / "nil" / "not" / "or" /
  "repeat" / "return" / "then" / "true" / "until" / "while"
-function-def: \b"function"\b[_id (*(`.id)[`:id])]_ parens
+function-def: |"function"|[_id (*(`.id)[`:id])]_ parens
 block: function / if-block / while-block / for-block / repeat-block / do-block
-repeat-block: \b"repeat"\b ..%(comment/string/\n) (\b"until"\b)
-do-block: \b"do"\b ..%(comment/string/block/\n) (\b"end"\b)
-for-block: \b"for"\b ..%\n >(\b"do"\b) do-block
-while-block: \b"while"\b ..%\n >(\b"do"\b) do-block
-if-block: \b"if"\b ..%\n \b"then"\b ..%(comment/string/\n) (\b"end"\b)
-function: function-def ..%(comment/string/block/\n) (\b"end"\b)
+repeat-block: |"repeat"| ..%(comment/string/\n) (|"until"|)
+do-block: |"do"| ..%(comment/string/block/\n) (|"end"|)
+for-block: |"for"| ..%\n >(|"do"|) do-block
+while-block: |"while"| ..%\n >(|"do"|) do-block
+if-block: |"if"| ..%\n |"then"| ..%(comment/string/\n) (|"end"|)
+function: function-def ..%(comment/string/block/\n) (|"end"|)
diff --git a/grammars/python.bp b/grammars/python.bp
index aab9a42..51c3c44 100644
--- a/grammars/python.bp
+++ b/grammars/python.bp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ keyword: "and" / "as" / "assert" / "break" / "class" / "continue" / "def" /
     "not" / "or" / "pass" / "raise" / "return" / "try" / "while" /
     "with" / "yield"
 class: class-def +(\N ..$)
-class-def: ^_"class"\b_id[_parens]_`:
+class-def: ^_"class"|_id[_parens]_`:
 function: function-def +(\N ..$)
-function-def: ^_"def"\b_id parens `:
-import: ^_["from"\b ..%parens >(\b"import"\b)] \b"import"\b ..%parens $
+function-def: ^_"def"|_id parens `:
+import: ^_["from"| ..%parens >(|"import"|)] |"import"| ..%parens $
diff --git a/grammars/rust.bp b/grammars/rust.bp
index a96062d..4df6b53 100644
--- a/grammars/rust.bp
+++ b/grammars/rust.bp
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ keyword:
     "false" / "fn" / "for" / "if" / "impl" / "in" / "let" / "loop" / "match" /
     "mod" / "move" / "mut" / "pub" / "ref" / "return" / "self" / "Self" / "static" /
     "struct" / "super" / "trait" / "true" / "type" / "unsafe" / "use" / "where" / "while"
-function-def: \b"fn"\b __ id __ parens __ ["->"__(id / parens)] >(__`{)
+function-def: |"fn"| __ id __ parens __ ["->"__(id / parens)] >(__`{)
 function: function-def __ braces
-import: \b"use"\b _ *(id / braces) % "::" _ `;
+import: |"use"| _ *(id / braces) % "::" _ `;
diff --git a/pattern.c b/pattern.c
index 861efdf..785b45a 100644
--- a/pattern.c
+++ b/pattern.c
@@ -332,6 +332,10 @@ static pat_t *_bp_simplepattern(file_t *f, const char *str)
 
             return all;
         }
+        // Word boundary
+        case '|': {
+            return new_pat(f, start, str, 0, 0, BP_WORD_BOUNDARY);
+        }
         // String literal
         case '"': case '\'': case '\002': {
             char endquote = c == '\002' ? '\003' : c;